Guus Hiddink: Chelsea won't be cautious against Liverpool

14 April 2009 03:33

Viewed : 10

The first leg at Anfield was very different from past defensive tactical battles between Jose Mourinho and Rafael Benitez, and Hiddink intends to continue the strategy of taking the game to Liverpool.
"Before the first game, there was also this talk that it's a European game and it would be quite a different approach knowing there were two games at stake," said Hiddink. "But I said I could hardly believe that two English teams would play this cautious game. I think the same will happen.
"It cannot be a cautious game where you have a kind of balance in a game where nothing happens for an hour, then maybe a team takes some risks at the end. That's not in both team's souls. We have to go for the win at home."
Hiddink says that it is small details, plus a little bit of luck, that could prove decisive in ending Chelsea's wait for Champions League glory after four semi-finals in the past five years.
"When you play in April and May in the Champions League, then all the matches are finals and it's just on those little details, plus luck a bit, that makes it happen yes or no," he said.
"It's the same with Liverpool. It was a kind of final. It wasn't a game between the managers. It's just the execution of what we planned. It's not that mathematical. I don't like to depend on luck. It gives you an excuse most of the time. We've prepared very seriously."
Ricardo Carvalho, who will tonight replace the suspended John Terry in central defence, added: "We'll miss JT, but we can't change the rules.
He's suspended. We have to be compact and try to play as normal.
"In the Champions League, you have to play at a high level. You have to have a little bit of luck, also, to get to the final and win the competition. It's two games and you have to play both at the high level.
I've won it before, but I lost it last year. First you have to be there in the final."